adventures and letters-第66章

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uch　later。　　I　am　perfectly　well；　never　better。　　No　fever；　no　〃tired　feeling〃　good　appetite；　in　spite　of　awful　tough　food。　　From　this　place　money　cannot　be　used　and　I　carry　a　bag　of　salt　and　rolls　of　cloth。　　For　a　bottle　of　salt　you　get　a　fowl　or　a　turkey；　for　a　tablespoonful　an　egg；　or　a　bunch　of　fruit。　　When　you　write　be　sure　and　tell　me　ALL　your　plans　for　the　summer；　that　is；　after　you　have　been　to　see　us。　　My　dearest　love　to　you　all。

DICK。


From　diary　of　February　27th；　1907。

Saw　two　hippos。　　Thought　Anstrossi　said　they　were　buffalo。　　So　was　glad　when　I　found　out　what　they　were。　　I　did　not　want　to　go　home　without　having　seen　only　two　dead　ones。　　In　a　few　minutes　I　saw　two　more。　　Anstrossi　fired　at　them　but　I　did　not；　as　thought　it　not　the　game　when　one　could　not　recover　them。　　Before　noon　saw　six　in　a　bunchand　then　what　I　thought　was　a　spit　of　rock　with　a　hippo　lying　on　the　end　of　it；　turned　out　to　be　fifteen　hippos　in　a　line！　　Burnham　has　told　he　had　seen　eleven　in　the　Volta　in　one　day。　　Before　one　o'clock；　I　had　seen　twenty…six；　and；　later　in　the　day　Anstrossi　fired　at　another；　and　shot　a　hole　in　the　awning。　　That　made　twenty…seven　in　one　day。　　Also　some　monkeys。　The　hippos　were　delightful。　　They　seemed　so　aristocratic；　like　gouty　old　gentlemen；　puffing　and　blowing　and　yawning；　as　though　everything　bored　them。

From　diary　of　February　28th；　1907。

When　just　going　up　for　coffee；　saw　what　was　so　big；　looking　at　it　against　horizon；　thought　it　must　be　an　elephant。　　Was　a　young　hippo。　　Captain　Jensen　brought　boat　within　eighty　yards　of　him；　and　both　Anstrossi　and　I　fired；　apparently　knocking　him　off　his　legs；　for　he　rolled　on　his　side　as　though　his　back　was　broken。　　I　missed　him　the　second　shot；　which　struck　the　water　just　in　front　of　him。　　The　other　three　shots　caught　him　in　the　head；　in　the　mouth　and　ear。　　He　lay　quite　still；　and　the　boys　rushed　out　a　gang　plank　and　surrounded　him　singing　and　shouting　and　cutting　his　tail　to　make　him　bleed　and　weaken　him。　　They　don't　die　for　an　hour　but　he　seemed　dead　enough；　so　I　went　to　my　cabin　to　re…load　my　gun　and　my　camera。　　In　three　minutes　I　came　out；　and　found　the　hippo　still　quiet。　　Then　he　began　to　toss　his　head　and　I　shot　him　again；　to　put　him　out　of　pain。　　In　return　for　which　he　rolled　over　into　the　water　and　got　away。　　I　was　mad。　　Later　saw　four　more。　　Just　at　sunset　while　taking　bath　another　was　seen　on　shore。　　We　got　within　sixty　yards　of　him　and　all　of　us　missed　him　or　at　least　did　not　hurt　him。　　He　then　trotted　for　the　river　with　his　head　up　and　again　I　must　have　missed；　although　at　one　place　he　was　but　fifty　yards　away；　when　he　entered　the　water；　a　hundred。　　I　stepped　it　off　later　in　the　sand。　　I　followed　him　up　and　hit　him　or　some　one　of　us　hit　him　and　he　stood　up　on　his　hind　legs。　　But　he　put　back　to　land　for　the　third　time。　　Captain　said　wait　until　moon　came　out。　　But　though　we　hunted　up　to　our　waists　saw　none。　　One　came　quite　close　at　dinner。　　Seven　on　the　day。


CONGO　RIVERMarch　1；　1907。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　have　been　up　the　Congo　as　far　as　the　Kasai　river；　and　up　that　to　a　place　called　Dima。　　There　I　found　myself　in　a　sort　of　cul　de　sac。　　I　found　that　the　rubber　plantations　I　had　come　to　see；　were　nine　days　journey　distant。　　In　this　land　where　time　and　distance　are　so　differently　regarded　than　with　us；　a　man　tells　you　to　go　to　Dima　to　see　rubber。　　He　means　after　getting　to　Dima；　you　must　catch　a　steamer　that　leaves　every　two　weeks　and　travel　for　five　days。　　But　he　forgets　that　that　fact　is　important　to　visitors。　　As　he　is　under　contract　to　stay　here　three　years；　it　does　not　much　matter　to　him　how　he　spends　a　month；　or　so。　　Dima　was　two　hundred　yards　square；　and　then　the　jungle。　　In　half　an　hour；　I　saw　it　all；　and　met　every　one　in　it。　　They　gave　me　a　grand　reception；　but　I　could　not　spend　ten　days　in　Dima。　　The　only　other　thing　I　could　do　was　to　take　a　canoe　to　the　Jesuit　Mission　where　the　Fathers　promised　me　shooting；　or；　try　to　catch　the　boat　back　to　England　that　stops　at　interesting　ports。　　Sooner　than　stop　in　Boma；　I　urged　Cecil　to　take　that　boat。　　So；　if　I　catch　it；　we　will　return　together。　　It　is　a　five　weeks　journey；　and　rather　long　to　spend　alone。　　In　any　event　my　letters　will　go　by　a　faster　boat。　　I　have　had　a　most　wonderfully　interesting　visit；　at　least；　to　me。　　I　hope　I　can　make　it　readable。　　But；　much　of　its　pleasure　was　personal。

I　have　just　had　to　stop　writing　this；　for　what　when　I　get　back　to　New　York　will　seem　a　perfectly　good　reason　for　interrupting　a　letter　to　even　you。　　A　large　hippopotamus　has　just　pushed　past　us　with　five　baby　hippos　in　front　of　her。　　She　is　shoving　them　up　stream；　and　the　papa　hippo　is　in　the　wake　puffing　and　blowing。　　They　are　very　plenty　here　and　on　the　way　up　stream；　I　saw　a　great　many；　and　every　morning　and　evening　went　hunting　for　them　on　shore。　　I　wanted　the　head　of　a　hippopotamus　awfully　keenly　for　the　farm。　　But　of　the　only　two　I　saw　on　land；　both　got　away　from　me。　　I　did　not　shoot　at　any　I　saw　in　the　water；　although　the　other　idiot　on　board　did；　because　if　you　kill　them；　you　cannot　recover　them；　and　it　seems　most　unsportsmanlike。　　Besides；　I　was　so　grateful　to　them　for　being　so　proud　and　pompous；　and　real　aristocrats　dating　back　from　the　flood。　　But　I　was　terribly　disappointed　at　losing　both　of　those　I　saw　on　land。　　One　I　dropped　at　the　first　shot；　and　the　other　I　missed；　as　he　was　running；　to　get　back　into　the　water。　　The　one　I　shot；　and　that　everyone　thought　was　dead；　AFTER　THE　〃BOYS〃　BEGAN　TO　CUT　HIM　UP；　decided　he　was　not　going　to　stand　for　that；　and　to　our　helpless　dismay　suddenly　rolled　himself　into　the　water。　　If　that　is　not　hard　luck；　I　don't　know　it。　　All　I　got　was　a　bad　photograph　of　him；　and　I　had　already　decided　where　I　would　hang　his　head；　and　how　much　I　would　tip　the　crew　for　cutting　him　up。　　It　was　a　really　wonderful　journey。　　I　loved　every　minute　of　it　and　never　was　I　in　better　health。

If　I　only　could　have　known　that　you　knew　that　I　was　all　right；　but　instead　you　were　worrying。　　The　nights　were　bright　moonlight；　and　the　days　were　beautiful；　full　of　strange　people　and　animals；　birds　and　views。　　We　three　sat　in　the　little　bridge　of　the　tinpot　boat；　and　smoked　pipes　and　watched　the　great　muddy　river　rushing　between　wonderful　banks。　　There　was　the　Danish　Captain；　an　Italian　officer　and　the　engineer　was　from　Finland。　　The　Italian　spoke　French　and　the　two　others　English；　and　I　acted　as　interpreter！！　　Can　you　imagine　it？　　I　am　now　really　a　daring　French　linguist。　　People　who　understand　me；　get　quick　promotion。　　If　I　only　could　have　been　able　to　tell　you　all　was　well　and　not　to　be　worried。　　At　Kwarmouth　I　have　just　received　a　wire　from　Cecil　saying　she　expects　to　leave　by　the　slow　boat　but　will　stay　if　I　wish　it。　　So；　now　we　can　both　go　by　the　slow　boat　if　I　can　catch　it。　　I　hope　so。　　must　have　found　Boma　as　bad　as　it　looked。　　God　bless　you　all。

DICK。



On　April　13；　Richard　was　back　in　London　and　in　his　diary　of　that　date　he　writes；　〃Never　so　glad　to　get　anywhere。　　Went　to　sleep　to　the　music　of　motorcars。　　Nothing　ever　made　me　feel　so　content　and　comfortable　and　secure　as　their　‘honk；　honk。'〃

From　diary　of　April　22nd；　1907。

A　blackmailer　named　H　called；　with　photos　of　atrocities　and　letters　and　films。　　He　wanted　30　Pounds　for　the　lot。　　I　gave　him　3　Pounds　for　three　photos。　　One　letter　he　showed　me　signed　Bullinger；　an　Englishman；　said　he　had　put　the　fear　of　God　in　their　hearts　by　sticking　up　the　chief's　head　on　a　pole；　and　saying；　〃Now；　make　rubber；　or　you　will　look　like　that。〃　　Went　to　lunch　with　Pearson　but　it　was　the　wrong　day；　and　so　missed　getting　a　free　feed。　　Thinking　he　would　turn　up；　I　ordered　a　most　expensive　lunch。　　I　paid　for　it。　　Evening　went　Patience；　which　liked　immensely　and　then　Duchess　of　Sutherland's　party　to　Premiers。　　Saw　Churchill　and　each　explained　his　share　of　the　Real　Soldiers　row。


From　diary　of　April　28th；　1907。

We　went　down　by　train　to　Cliveden　going　by　Taplow　to　Maidenhead　where　Astor　had　sent　his　car　to　meet　us。　　It　is　a　wonderful　place　and　the　view　of　the　Thames　is　a　beautiful　one。　　They　had　been　making　alterations；　bathrooms；　and　putting　white　enamel　tiles　throughout　the　dungeons。　　If　Dukes　lived　no　more　comfortably　than　those　who　owned　Cliveden；　I　am